The Plan?
by ButterflySatan
Summary: Nagisa has a student that seems to be having some trouble. He enlists none other than Akabane Karma for help. While trying to help his students, the pair discover something not only about the kids, but about themselves. Cheesy summary, sorry. Karmagisa. Don't like, don't read.
1. Akihito

A cup of tea on a saucer was set in front of a tall man with bright red hair. He stared conspicuously down at the steaming drink, examining for any signs of poison or something else potentially dangerous. When he found nothing, he decided on drinking it. He immediately crinkled his nose. Disgusting. Why did he even order it?

He set the up back down and glanced at his watch. Late. Where was he? They were supposed to meet at four o' clock sharp, and his watch had ticked past that seventeen minutes prior.

Akabane Karma hated when people were late. Only he could do that!

He heard the ring of the bell on the door. He craned his neck to see his reason for being there arrive.

"Nagisa-kun! Glad to see you could make it!" Karma shouted at the short, blue-haired man that was approaching him.

"I was dealing with something. And I thought we dropped the honorifics a long time ago?" Karma gestured at the chair, not replying to his previous remark.

"Have a seat." Nagisa sat down, and, frighteningly fast, a waiter came to take his order. Nagisa passed on a drink.

"Why'd you ask to meet? I was supposed to do some official government stuff today." Karma asked.

"I called to ask for some advice." Karma raised an eyebrow.

"I have a student in my class, Yoshimasa Akihito, who shows some… violent… tendencies. I was hoping you'd know a good way to get him to calm down without using physical means." Karma got the hint at Nagisa's talent for assassination.

"And you think I'd know all about violence?" He feigned offense. "I can't believe you'd frame a government worker of such a thing!" Nagisa blushed, and Karma, deep in his thoughts, saw that as cute.

"That's- but- I-!" His protests were cut short by Karma bursting out laughing.

"Sure, I'll help you, Nagisa. So what does this Akihito do, anyways?" Nagisa shook off his blush and regained his composure.

"He threatens my other students and has even gone so far as to beat them up. It is unhealthy for both them and him. I'm wondering if something is going on at home, and… well…" He trailed off, averting his eyes from his redheaded friend.

"You'd like my help in straightening him out? Or to spy on him. ~I'll do either~" He chirped. Nagisa was a little creeped out by his friend's antics, but he had grown used to it for the most part.

"Both would help, actually." He looked sheepish. He didn't want Karma to feel pressured to help him or anything!

'Well then, partner," he stood up and extended his hand to Nagisa, "let's get to the bottom of this."

…

The next day when Nagisa walked into his classroom, Paradise High 3-5, he felt better about the whole class situation. Now he had Karma's help, and Karma always knew what to do.

His class, class 3-5, was the worst in the entire school. Kids got sent there because they were the bottom of the barrel. Just like him in middle school. But Nagisa truly believed that a good example could turn someone's life around. It did for him.

It was in these moments, when he thought about Koro-sensei, that he truly felt that being a teacher was the right thing for him to do. He could have been a great assassin, but with Koro-sensei as a role model, how could he not become a teacher?

This was his second class at Paradise High. After the first class, which was undeniably a success despite the students' initial lack of faith and interest, he had been offered a "better position" which had better pay. He had turned down the offer, knowing full well that the kids coming to his current class would need much more help. And that is what he wanted to give.

His students had not yet arrived, as he preferred to get there early to set up his lesson plan. He was not able to move at mach-20 as his teacher had.

It took another ten minutes or so for his students to show up. He scanned them as they filed into the room, looking for any signs of an issue that might be occurring. He saw nothing out of the ordinary.

Then Akihito slouched in, looking all the part of a rebel, with his bag slung over one shoulder and his messy hair. He even sported a black eye. Nagisa chose to not comment on this as he entered. He'd leave that to Karma today.

"Good morning, class." He waited for their proper response then continued. "Today we will have a visitor. He will be arriving shortly, so until then, fill out this worksheet." That was all he had planned.

As the class groaned and eventually complied with the busywork, Nagisa counted off the minutes until Karma arrived. Why was he so anxious? He saw him yesterday.

Now that he was thinking about it, Nagisa remembered feeling nervous yesterday, too. It had been a while since they had met up. Karma was just always so busy with his work and Nagisa with his as well that they just never had the time to spend time with one another. He had barely stayed in contact with any of his friends from junior high. He would love to see them again, but he knew they were all caught up in their own lives.

There was a knock at the door and then Karma walked in. His hair was slicked back, as Nagisa supposed it usually was now. It hadn't been yesterday, though. He was dressed in a professional looking suit, and Nagisa couldn't help but admire the way his friend looked dressed up like that.

He cleared his head.

"Class, meet Akabane-san. He's here to discuss your futures with you. He's from the Ministry." The class looked taken aback.

"Wow Shiota-sensei, I had no idea you were connected to such important people!" A girl named Ohno Mei exclaimed.

"Actually, we were friends in junior high, and I owed him a favor." Karma maintained an easy-going face, but Nagisa sensed the solemnity in his words. Koro-sensei. Was that why Karma was helping him?

"You'll each get a few minutes to talk with him about your goals and see what advice he had to give." This was the best idea they could come up with. It seemed the best way to question Akihito without it seeming suspicious.

But since they decided to do it alphabetically, Akihito was basically last.

Karma waited through all of the kids until it got to Akihito. It was stupid to alphabetically, but if they made Akihito go first, it wouldn't make sense.

He heard and gave advice on plans to be doctors, artists, singers, lawyers, businesspeople. His first piece of advice was "get your life together." If they were in this class, it meant they were pretty low on the totem pole already.

He found himself content with helping these kids. They reminded him of his classmates in junior high. One girl wanted to be an actress. It was funny, she was rather flat-chested much like another successful actress he knew. One boy wanted to play baseball. One was into tech. Another, chemistry. He saw his friends in these young faces, and it really made him realize something. Nagisa was doing such a great job with his students. They all looked forward to his teaching, they all claimed that much. Karma knew it wasn't really his place, but he was proud of Nagisa for the job well done.

And then, finally, the name Yoshimasa Akihito was reached. The kid sat slumped in the chair opposite to himself. Karma stared intently at the boy. His tough-guy appearance was really over the top.

"You part of a gang, kid?" He didn't answer, just looked away.

"Alright, what are your plans?" Again, no response. Karma was trying to stay civilized, but this kid's noncompliance was starting to bother him.

"So you won't talk. Whatever." Karma shrugged. "Let me talk, then. Get your shit together." At this, Akihito looked at him with wide eyes. In a second his expression had returned to normal, but Karma felt that it had made an imprint on him.

"When I was around your age, I also got into fights a lot. I even got suspended for it. Then I ended up in the same place you are in. The very bottom: E Class. 'E' for 'End.'" The kid snorted.

"Well, as I see it, you've landed yourself a government job. I guess my future ain't looking so grim." He smirked. Karma returned it.

"Not exactly. You see, I had a great role model, one who taught me better than any stuffed shirt could. We called him Koro-sensei." Akihito looked incredulous.

"That's a stupid name." Karma nodded.

"Yeah, but it fit. 'Unkillable.' He gave us a challenge: kill him before graduation. Sound familiar?" Akihito looked surprised.

"Shiota-sensei gave us the same deal. Though, not so many really try so hard. We like-" He stopped himself, but Karma could finish the sentence on his own.

"Nagisa-san had the same teacher as I did. He was inspired by him. And so was I."

"So you're saying all I need is a good role model."

"Yes. Someone to help you get your life together. You seem smart, Yoshimasa-kun. Make use of your life and stop wasting it." And with that left in the air, Karma stood up and exited the small room he had been given to use for the interview.

…

Later that afternoon, Karma and Nagisa were chatting in Nagisa's classroom.

"Thanks for the help, Karma." He meant it from the bottom of his heart.

"No problem, Nagisa-sensei." Nagisa rolled his eyes at the honorific.

"Come on, I've got papers to grade and you've probably got work to do." Nagisa said, signaling their departure.

"Yeah. Probably." He sounded slightly dejected. "It was good to see you. Really." Karma smiled at him, a true smile.

"Yeah. It was good to see you to." The moments ended when Nagisa fidgeted. They exited the classroom.

However, they did not leave the building. In the hallway, one of Nagisa's students was sitting on the floor with her face in her hands.

"Help me, Shiota-sensei."

 **Hey guys, thanks for reading this! I'd really appreciate a review or something, but you don't have to. Did you like it? Oh, and sorry (not sorry) for the cliffhanger. Bye! ~Your satanic butterfly.**


	2. Aiko

" _Help me, Shiota-sensei."_

Nagisa stared down at the girl who was sitting on the ground.

'What's wrong, Aiko-san?" The girl, like him in junior high, preferred to be addressed by her given name. The girl sniffed.

"I can't find my brother." She began to cry. Aiko was a very sensitive girl, and Nagisa understood why. When she was four, her mother had left her. To make up for their low income, her father always worked. That left Aiko in charge of her younger brother, Kado. She had a hard time balancing her life, and that was why she was in Nagisa's class. Her brother, eight years old, often fought with her, and she felt unloved. Nagisa made sure to be gentle with her.

"Did you two have a fight?" She nodded.

"Last night. When I got home from school an hour or so ago, he wasn't there. He left a note saying he'd run away. What do I do, Shiota-sensei?" She was clutching her head in her hands and was sobbing while she was talking.

"Does your brother have a cell phone?" Aiko sniffed.

"No. Neither do I." That should have been obvious, they were pretty poor.

"Alright then, did you ask the police?" She looked up and her eyes widened.

"No! We can't tell them! They'll call my dad and then- I- I'll-" She started to freak out, so Nagisa put his hand on her shoulder, trying to comfort her. She didn't want to bother her dad. Nagisa understood.

"I guess that leaves us no choice," Karma interjected, "we have to search for her brother." Nagisa nodded.

"Let's go, Karma, Aiko-san." He held out a hand to help her up. She took it, and brushed off her skirt after standing.

"Thank you." She looked directly at both Nagisa and Karma, looking sincere. Then she wiped away her tears and a teasing grin slipped onto her face.

"So… no honorifics, eh? That must mean the two of you are close~" Nagisa felt his face get warm.

"Oh yes, we are _very_ close." Karma pulled Nagisa into him. Nagisa batted him away.

"Don't make it sound weird. We've been friends since junior high." He explained. Aiko looked disappointed.

"But you would be so cute together! You know, the typical height difference, the fit, handsome one and the cute, small one. Plus, Karma-san here seems like a bad boy! Oh my! I've got it; I'm so writing a fanfiction about this!" Her eyes shone as she fangirled. She looked like she sprang from the pages of a manga.

"Peppy, isn't she?" Nagisa looked exasperated.

"She's not wrong, though." Karma mumbled. Nagisa didn't hear.

"What?" Karma shook his head.

"Never mind." Nagisa eyed him suspiciously, but let it drop. They began to look for Aiko's brother.

The trio searched around Kado's favorite places. Aiko kept tearing up whenever the location wasn't where her brother had hidden.

They tried a few local parks, a couple diners, stores, friends' houses. All that was left was their grandmother's house. The grandmother was on their mom's side, and they weren't very close. However, they were family, and Kado could have gone there.

Aiko had become very quiet after suggesting the place. It was clear she did not want to go to her grandmother's.

They took a train to Nishimura-sama's house. She had the mother's last name, which was not Aiko and her brother's last name.

Before they reached the door, Nagisa stopped them.

"Wait. I never asked. Aiko, what did you fight with Kado over?" The girl looked down.

"He- he wants… to find our mom and get our parents together again. But he doesn't know her! She left me as a seven-year-old! He may have been a baby, but I wasn't. I knew her, and she was too cowardly to stay." She looked away, tears brimming in her eyes.

"Ah. So going to her grandmother's is a good idea then." Karma stated, and both Nagisa and Aiko looked at him, surprised.

"He wants more information on your mother, probably. And where best to get it than her mother?" He explained, looking the young teen in the eyes. She nodded.

At the door, Aiko's hand froze before the doorbell. Nagisa could not see her face, but could feel the nervous aura she emitted. He walked up and put a hand on her shoulder. He put as much support as he could muster into his smile. She put on a brave face and pressed the button.

They heard it ring, and seconds later, they heard footsteps coming from inside. Aiko wrung her hands together. Nagisa removed his hand from her shoulder.

The door opened to reveal an elderly woman with gray hair and circular glasses. She eyed them curiously. Then her eyes widened.

"Aiko…-san. Is it you?" Aiko nodded slowly.

"And they are…?" She gestured to Nagisa and Karma.

"My teacher and a government official that came to interview us today in school." The grandmother nodded.

"You must be here for Kado. Come in." She walked in, leaving the door open. Aiko looked surprised. No honorifics. They stepped into the house that Aiko had been in last when she was very little. They slipped off their shoes and walked into the closest room to see the Mrs. Nishimura's back. She turned and stepped out of the way of a short boy. Kado, then.

Aiko ran to her brother and wrapped her arms around him.

"How could you? I can't believe that you ran away!" He hugged her back, a guilty expression on his face.

"I'm sorry. But I'm safe!" Aiko glanced at their grandmother.

"But you don't even know her." Kado looked away.

"That's… not true. I've been coming over for a while now. Whenever you have stuff to do, I like to come. She's really nice, Aiko." That explained the lack of honorifics. Aiko looked shocked. She straightened herself.

"I see. Well then, I'll be on my way. I'm sorry for intruding." She turned to leave.

"Wait! Please. I know my daughter- your mother- left you. But I've only ever wanted a relationship with my grandchildren! Please stay. I want to know you… Aiko." A long breath was held, and then Aiko burst into tears again, and ran into her long-lost grandmother's arms.

Nagisa and Karma watched the scene play out with suspicion at first, which morphed into happiness. They left the house for the family to make up in.

Once outside, Nagisa turned to Karma.

"Thank you. I only asked for one student, but you helped me out twice today." Karma smiled.

"No problem. I've missed you, you know. It was good to see you again, even if it was for helping your students. They're good kids. They remind me of us when we were younger." Their minds wandered back to E Class and Koro-sensei.

"It was great to see you too, Karma." The silence hung in the air, but it wasn't awkward. They began to walk to the train station.

Eventually, they went their separate ways- Karma to work and Nagisa to his home- but they would be seeing more of each other. Fate would ensure it. (And maybe Nagisa's fangirl students as well).

 **A/N: Yes, this chapter was boring, I know. I'm sorry, but I've been busy lately. I would love it if you would review and give me suggestions, or whatever! Thanks for reading! ~Your Satanic Butterfly.**


	3. Faye

Karma sighed, resting his head in his hands. He was finally back to his home after a long day at work. He was practically starving- he hadn't had lunch today- but he was too tired to make something or to go out.

He lifted himself from his couch and stretched. He felt so tense- he'd had meetings all day. He was half thinking of skipping them, but realized that it wouldn't be beneficial to his current position.

It had been two weeks since he had helped Nagisa with his students. Already, he missed the blue-haired man whom had been his best friend in junior high. And the kids… they were wonderful. He felt as if he had connected with most of them during their one-on-ones.

He wanted to see him- them- again.

…

Faye wiped the tears from her face. She took several calming breaths, and opened the bathroom stall door. She peered out of it, spotting no one, and exited. She headed to the sink in which she splashed cool water over her face.

She sighed. There was still a hitch in her throat. She gazed at her reflection in the dirty mirror. The skin under her eyes still looked puffy. She could probably pass it off as lack of sleep.

She ran her fingers through her smooth black hair.

Faye didn't belong here. In Japan. She hardly knew any Japanese, and she was given peculiar looks from people who saw her. She was clearly not from around here- her dark brown skin was a pretty big hint.

When her father had moved her family- which happened to be just him and her- to Japan for a job transfer, she was placed in Paradise High. And since she did not know the language, she was placed in their lowest class of her grade- Class 3-5.

She sat in the back corner, quiet and secluded, and never participated. She could barely understand anything they were saying anyways.

Faye didn't like her situation, but she did like her teacher. Mr. Shiota. Or Shiota-sensei as all of her classmates referred to him as. At the end of every lesson, he would give her notes on the subject matter written in English. He didn't even judge her for being an American.

He didn't care what color her skin was or what language she spoke. He had even told her that she was his student, and thus valued far more than she could imagine. It had made her heart swell.

But despite the comforting words from her teacher, Faye hated it where she was. She could tell that other students- not the ones in her class per say- were poking fun at her. When she would arrive at school, she caught glances of the students whispering behind their hands and staring at her with scrutiny.

And her dad was hardly at home anymore. He, unlike her, knew Japanese very well and would spend a lot of time at his work- a government job she wasn't well informed about- while leaving her to struggle to learn the language herself.

Faye was having a hard time.

And Nagisa could tell.

…

Nagisa sat at his desk, red pen in hand, placed to the side of a test he was supposed to be grading. But he was too distracted.

He knew his American student, Faye, was not adjusting well to her new environment. She was always alone, and she didn't attempt to communicate with anyone. He got that she wasn't familiar with Japanese, but she wasn't trying to learn it, either. He had tried to get her to study the language with him, but she always declined. And Nagisa could guess why.

It was obvious that Faye wanted her father's attention. She sought it out all the time, and Nagisa had realized that she didn't want to learn the language from Nagisa because she wanted her dad to step up and teach her. Understandably so.

But Nagisa did not know how to make her father get the hint. Nagisa glanced at his phone. He knew someone who could.

…

Karma heard his phone ring and jumped to answer it. The caller was 'Unknown.' Damn. He had been hoping that… someone else… would call. Maybe ask for help on something or other.

He was on his lunch break, and he had gotten takoyaki. But the food was… kind of bland. He was so bored with his life. Everything seemed to have gotten so gray since after junior high. He was successful, sure, but unhappy.

Karma wished he could find something- or someone- to color his life again. He brushed the thought away. It was ridiculous anyways.

His phone buzzed. He glared at the stupid electronic. Getting his hopes up and all. But his curiosity got the better of him and he snatched the device. One text. It was from Nagisa.

 **Hey. I need your help with something. Another one of my students. Please?**

Karma's heart warmed. The message was so brightly colored, and when Karma looked around, the world was so beautiful. He had found the person to color his life.

The most colorful thing at the moment, however, was Karma's face, as it matched his hair.

…

Nagisa heard a knock on his classroom door. He sprang to his feet and rushed to open it.

"Karma! Thanks for coming." He smiled at the redheaded man.

"No problem. What's up?" Nagisa stepped out of Karma's way and let him into the room.

"One of my students. Faye-san." Karma raised an eyebrow.

"That's a peculiar name." Nagisa shrugged.

"She's American." Karma nodded, as if that explained the unusual name.

"I don't remember her from when I was last here." Nagisa nodded.

"That's because she wasn't here. She was finishing the move with her dad."

"What's the problem?" Nagisa sighed, clearly worried about his student.

"She… is having a hard time with the move. She doesn't speak Japanese and doesn't communicate with anyone else. And she won't accept language lessons from me. I think she wants to learn from her dad, but he never pays her any attention." Karma processed this information.

"What do you need me for?" Nagisa looked at him wide-eyed, then the surprise slipped from his face, replaced with a grateful smile.

"Her father works as a translator for American government officials. They're staying here for a while because his charge is staying in Japan for something." He rubbed his head, embarrassed. "I don't know a whole lot about his job other than that. I was just wondering if you'd-"

"-find him and get some sense into his thick skull?" Nagisa blinked, then chuckled.

"I would not have phrased it like that, but yeah. Will you?" Karma nodded.

"Thank you, Karma. I know I said I wouldn't need more help, but… I do need you." Nagisa blushed and quickly tried to rephrase what he had said.

"I need your help! With my students! That's- that's what I meant." He squeaked, violently red in the face. Karma thought it was cute.

"I'll look into it." He turned to leave. As he left the room, Nagisa thought he heard him mutter something under his breath. It sounded a whole lot like "anything for you."

…

Karma was searching for Faye's father in his government's database. Not very responsible, sure, but he was doing it for Nagisa.

Nagisa had texted him the family's last name and the father's first. Churchwell Robert- wait he was western, so it'd be Robert Churchwell.

He had gotten two results for the name. Karma was really confused- one guy's name wasn't even close to that. He was just the only other American translator currently in Japan.

Karma had found where he lived (which was weirdly easy, he'd have to ask about that later). Later in the day, he visited the address (did he ever work?)

It was past dinnertime, so he assumed that Churchwell would be home. He rang the doorbell, and, sure enough, a tall, dark-skinned man answered it. He glared at Karma with suspicious eyes.

"What do you want?" Karma smirked. He flashed the man his id. It was great because Karma was ranked higher than the translator. Churchwell's eyes widened and he stepped out of his home and closed the door behind him.

"What is it?" The man eyed Karma, waiting for him to answer. Karma laughed.

"Straight to the point, huh? Anyways, a friend of mine sent me. Your daughter. She attends Paradise High, no? Well, she hardly speaks any Japanese, and it is hindering her learning. Her teacher, the friend I spoke of, has tried to teach her but she won't learn from him. He would've come to tell you to teach her himself, but he's too polite." The man's eyes widened in surprise.

"But… I bought all those books and- and I got her a tutor." He was completely confused. Karma narrowed his eyes at the ignorant man.

"Money doesn't buy everything." The man looked up at him, questioning. "It's not that she can't learn- it's that she doesn't want to. It's less of a matter of picking up a book, and more so of spending time with her father." Karma tasted the inspirational words in his mouth and almost retched. Koro-sensei and Nagisa were too good- it was rubbing off on him. He'd get some insults in later.

"She… want to spend time… with me?" Karma nodded. "But… she's been so angry with me since I told her we were moving." He hung his head. "I didn't think she'd want to talk to me." Karma looked incredulous.

"How stupid are you?" The man's head snapped up and he glared at Karma. "She's your daughter. And you're her father. You'll get over your fights, if- and only if, really- you try to get over it. Spend time with your kid. Or else you'll both regret it." There was a sad glint in Karma's eyes, but he blinked it out. The man stared at him, and it appeared as if there were tears glistening in his brown eyes.

He nodded. "I'll- thank you." He still looked like his thoughts were muddled, but Karma had faith. Faye's father walked inside his house, and with one last nod to Karma, shut the door.

…

Karma didn't go to see the after effects of what he'd done. But he did keep waiting for a text from Nagisa. Something, anything relating to his students… or something else. Karma blushed at his train of thoughts.

He then chuckled. Damn, he was smitten.

…

Nagisa watched Faye closely after he had sent Karma to inform her father of her troubles. She was attempting to converse with the rest of the class. She used as much Japanese as she knew, and every day it seemed as she knew more. Nagisa's heart swelled.

He thought of how to thank Karma. After all, it had been his doing. Nagisa realized he really didn't need Karma to do it for him… but he wanted an excuse to see him. Nagisa gasped at his revelation. They were friends, so it was normal to want to see him, right? Friends.

But Nagisa was pretty sure that if they were just friends, Nagisa's heart wouldn't beat so fast at the thought of him. He wouldn't flush, and he wouldn't keep wishing that every second they spent together would stretch out. Nagisa couldn't think of Karma as just a friend- he was so much more. But Nagisa couldn't tell him that.

But he still had to show his gratitude.

…

Karma was just finishing his dinner when he heard the doorbell ring. He sighed. He set his bowl on the counter to wash later and approached the door. The doorbell rang again.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming." He opened the door and looked straight ahead. He didn't see anyone. An annoyed voice came from lower to the ground.

"Down here." A scowling Nagisa was standing in all of his 5'3'' glory at his front door. Karma laughed.

"Didn't see you there, you're so short." Nagisa looked even more unhappy.

"You know, I came here to thank you, but I guess there's no point now." He turned to leave, but Karma snatched his arm.

"Sorry, sorry." The laughter faded from his face, replaced with a more "serious" expression.

"I just wanted to thank you. You keep helping me, and I have no idea of how to repay you." Nagisa stated. Karma grinned.

"Have dinner with me." Nagisa's mouth dropped.

"Wh-what?" He stuttered, looking stricken. Karma laughed again.

"I said have dinner with me. Friday, maybe. Does that work for you?" Without thinking, Nagisa nodded. "Good, see you then. I'll pick you up from your classroom." Then he shut the door, leaving Nagisa to stand outside with his mouth gaping.

Did Karma just ask him out on a date?

 **A/N: So we got a date! Sorry for the late update… I've been busy. Thanks to all of you who reviewed, liked, or followed! Love you all, my readers!**


	4. Class etc

_Did Karma just ask him out on a date?_

…

Karma put his back against the door and sighed. There were butterflies in his stomach, and he could feel his face heating up. He felt like teenage girl with her first crush.

He should feel giddy with excitement. It probably had sounded like he had asked Nagisa on a date. And the truth was that he would have liked to. But that's not why he asked.

The smile had fallen from the redhead's face. There was something he needed to tell Nagisa, and he didn't know how to break the news to him.

…

Nagisa's heart fluttered with anticipation and excitement. His students could practically see the little hearts dancing in his bright blue eyes.

They were snickering in clusters, wondering who had caused their teacher to be so distracted from their lesson. Lunch had ended almost ten minutes ago, but Shiota-sensei had been zoned out for the entire time. Lovestruck, they said.

It was when the clock ticked off the tenth minute that one of Nagisa's students, Osumi Tamiko, who very much lived up to her name's meaning of beautiful child, stood up and cleared her throat, being pulled at by her giggling friends.

"Shiota-sensei!" She yelled, cupping her hands for a louder sound, "Got a hot date?" Then she sunk into her seat after bursting into laughter.

Nagisa snapped out of his stupor. Then, realizing what had been asked, he turned tomato-red.

"Wh-what! I-I… n-no!" He was so cute, even when he was angry. His class was in between comforting him and teasing him more. They decided for the latter.

"I bet it's that Akabane-san!" Shouted Aiko, "They were pretty close when I saw them together!" Quite a few fanboys and fangirls fanned themselves, some squealed, and one obvious shōjo manga reader (one was tucked in her bag) fell out of her seat. Aiko put her hands on her hips and settled into a stance that was almost daring Nagisa to contradict her. But he didn't. The class took the silence as a confirmation, if not even more so backed up by the even-more-furious blushing. There was a follow-up of more squealing.

"You two would be so cute together!" Shouted one student. Nagisa stared at them all, looking vaguely surprised.

"None of you are… disturbed… by, uh… two… men?" He choked out awkwardly. The mood in the classroom went from cheery to pissed in a second flat. Nagisa was freaked out by how quickly his students started glaring him.

"Excuse me, Shiota-sensei, but are you crazy?!" Shouted Aiko. "For one, we'd support you in anything you're happy with. Two, we like Akabane-san, and three, we're the bottom class! You've shown us nothing but love, but we're still low on the scale. Who are we to judge? Plus, I don't think any of us are homophobes anyways." She glanced around, and every single one of his students was shaking their head.

Nagisa's heart was crying- wait, no, that didn't make sense. _He_ was crying. A few of the girls crooned at his tears, and Aiko came up and hugged him.

Nagisa felt so loved in this moment. He knew that his mother, or most of society, would accept him for who he was and who he loved, but these kids- they were amazing. They were beautiful, accepting, loving people. He was confident that they'd change their world someday for the better.

Then shouts of "We should get them together!" rang about the room. The excited chorus of voices shouted over one another. The students were brainstorming a way to get Karma and Nagisa together.

"Well, we're having dinner." Nagisa added in weakly. The class gaped.

"WHHAAAATTTT!?"

…

Karma sighed. He seemed to have been doing that a lot, lately. Ever since Nagisa had come back into his life. And now, that same man was going to not be a part of it- or at least for a while.

It was Friday, and Karma had been counting off the minutes until 6 p.m., which was the time Karma had picked to get Nagisa. He had texted the blue-haired man the time, and he had said it was okay.

One day to go. Twelve hours to go. Six hours. Four. Three. Two. One.

Now it was a half-hour until this non-date was a go.

To try and slow the churning in his stomach, he attempted to think of other things than Nagisa. His day had been… the same as always. Meetings in which he contributed nothing until the very end where he told all of the participants they were idiots and what they should do as he exited the room. Luckily, he'd known that he would only be busy until five o' clock, and then he'd be free.

To keep himself busy for a while, he checked Twitter for information on the United State's government. That entertained him until in was 5:45, and he left the house.

He took a train to Nagisa's school. Having memorized the layout, he immediately headed to Nagisa's classroom. However, on the way he spotted something.

In a hallway that intersected with the one Nagisa's was in was what looked like an entire class of kids. Upon closer inspection, Karma recalled some of their faces. It was Nagisa's class.

So, they had wormed information out of him. Not surprising. Karma smirked and crept behind them.

"What are we waiting for?" He whispered. The class jumped and a few even shrieked. They whirled around to see Karma laughing his head off, wiping tears of laughter from the corners of his eyes.

"Akabane-san!" One of the girls squeaked. She looked a weird amount like Okuda Manami.

He chuckled again, and waved them good-bye, heading to the classroom.

"You're not going to tell us off?" One boy asked, taken aback.

"I wasn't, but now that you mention it… go away." Then he left them in the hallway and entered Nagisa's room.

The blue-haired man himself was sitting at his desks, grading papers. He was so deeply engrossed in his work that he didn't look up when Karma walked in.

His now shorter hair still brushed his face, covering some of his skin. His brows were furrowed in such concentration. His eyes were determined. Karma couldn't look away. Then he remembered the otakus outside and cleared his throat. Nagisa's head snapped up.

"Oh! Karma, you're here." He stood up. "Sorry, I was just checking some work my students were doing today." Karma shrugged.

"Ready to go?" Nagisa nodded, and Karma didn't miss the light dusting of pink on his cheeks. He was too adorable.

They headed out and passed the hallway in which all of the students were trying to hide in. Without even turning his head, Nagisa said, "Get lost, class." They were left gaping, again, as their teacher walked off with the redheaded man.

…

They decided to eat at Karma's house- there were no restaurants they wanted to go to. By the time they got there, it was almost seven, after having scouted for a suitable place.

Luckily, Nagisa wasn't picky, and Karma prepared some udon noodles. While he prepared it, Nagisa made an effort to help him. He claimed that he was bored, but Karma knew it was just Nagisa being nice. Not that Karma needed the help, but he still thought it was kind of sweet.

With the meal ready and the table set, they dug in. They made pleasant conversation, but nothing out of the ordinary from an everyday talk.

After having finished, the two washed the dishes together. Neither admitted it, but they both felt like a couple.

They sat down to talk. Nagisa, still as unsure and awkward as ever, waited for Karma to speak first. But he didn't.

"Why'd you ask to have dinner with me?" He broke the silence. Karma looked away before Nagisa could see the sad look in his eyes. Karma let the question hang in the air for a moment before answering.

"You know I care about you, right?" Nagisa blushed and nodded. "I have to tell you something. It's important." There was a somber tone in his voice, and he had turned his head so Nagisa could see his face. Nagisa's blush receded, and his heart stopped.

"What is it, Karma?" He asked tentatively. Karma breathed deeply.

"I'm moving to the United States, Nagisa. And I'll stay there for a while."

 **A/N: Nufufufu. I love cliffhangers. Did you expect that? Anyways, thanks for reading. I'd appreciate reviews/likes/follows. Sorry it was short this time.**


	5. Good-byes and Disappointment

" _I'm moving to the United States, Nagisa. And I'll stay there for a while."_

…

 **Sunday- 9 days before the "date."**

Karma stared at his cell phone, eyes wide and disbelieving. He had just received a call from his mother. But she and his father were financial day traders, so they traveled a lot. At the time, they had been in America, where there was large availability of fresh fund inflows to trade continuously on the markets. After getting bored with work, his parents were going to relax in the states for a vacation- they certainly had enough money for it.

But their vacation hadn't gone as planned.

Karma's call was still haunting his mind. His mother… had said she was in the hospital. And his dad was… dead.

They had been in a car accident, she said. They had rented out a car, and his dad was driving. He didn't understand most of what his mother had told him- she had been sobbing really hard.

But Karma couldn't find any tears. Sure, he felt a bit numb from shock, but his parents had never been there for him. Ever since he was a small child, they had left him at their house with a nanny until he could take care of himself while they traveled the world. He'd never gotten to get to know his father. But now he was gone.

Karma processed this thought and took in a sharp breath. Then he slowly breathed out of his nose.

His mother had asked him to go to America to help her. She had broken both of her legs and several ribs. She also wanted to hold her husband's funeral there, as well as live there. That's right- his mom was permanently staying in the United States. She had admitted that she thought there was nothing left for her in Japan. Not even him.

Karma didn't want to go- she had just downright acknowledged that she didn't think he was important. However, no matter how poor of one they were, they were still family. So, reluctantly, Karma had complied.

His mother was already considered a citizen of America- they had spent a few years there before when Karma was younger. He supposed there were good business opportunities there for them.

Karma had a green card. It was a long story, but in the end, he had gotten one a few years back when he first started working for the government.

All was left was to move. And say good-byes, of course. There weren't too many people who Karma actually cared about. And he hadn't seen most of those people in years.

But there was still Nagisa. Karma laughed bitterly. Why did Nagisa have to bring himself back into Karma's life? It was both a blessing and a curse. It would just make moving the states that much harder. He imagined the farewell. His heart hurt. He glared down at his chest (he knew that there was absolutely no rationale in that, but at the moment he didn't care) and wished that his heart would just let go. He knew it was futile, though. There was a saying that fit that. 'The heart wants what the heart wants.'

The next day, Nagisa again asked him for his assistance. He dealt with the parent of an American student, and it was totally worth his time to see Nagisa look so happy.

Then, a bit later, Nagisa had asked Karma how he could repay him. Karma knew that he had to break the news to Nagisa sometime, and that he'd have to say good-bye, as he was leaving really soon, and he saw an opening. He asked Nagisa to have dinner with him. Nagisa had agreed.

For the next while, thoughts of moving tormented Karma's mind. He got a leave from work (which was surprisingly easy, seriously, what is up with this government?), and was basically ready to move (he had paid the rent for his apartment 12 months advance up front).

When he had done that, he realized how long he might actually stay away from his home.

Friday came like a bullet. He blinked and it was there. He had no plan to say good-bye, but there was no time left.

They were at Karma's house for this non-date. He felt like a couple, and he wished they were, or that they even could be. Maybe… once he got back… but he didn't expect Nagisa to wait for him. How could he? It just wasn't fair. Karma knew that he himself wouldn't pursue anyone else- at least until Nagisa did. No promises from the other end. He told himself it was okay. And then… the time came to tell Nagisa the truth.

" _I'm moving to the United States, Nagisa. And I'll stay there for a while."_

…

Nagisa blinked at Karma, confused.

"Moving… why?" He managed to let out. Karma looked guiltily away from him.

"My parents went there. My dad… he died in the states. My mom wants to stay there permanently. She wants my help… and I can't refuse her." Nagisa stared at him, shocked.

"I'm so sorry Karma." He swallowed, looking upset. "Of course you have to go." He forced a smile. It only hurt Karma worse.

"I'm sorry." Nagisa shook his head, his blue hair bouncing.

"Don't be, it isn't your fault." Karma wished that the blunette was more selfish- that he'd ask Karma to stay. But Nagisa would never do that. He was too good a person and too good a friend. If 'friends' was what they even were anymore. He didn't know.

"I just had to say good-bye before I went. So… good-bye, I guess?" Karma confessed awkwardly. Nagisa nodded.

"Good-bye, Karma." Then, without another word, he got up to leave. Karma grabbed his arm and stood up next to him. The height difference was obvious, but all that mattered that minute was the hurt in Nagisa's eyes that reflected into Karma's. He pulled the smaller man into a hug.

"You still have my number… we could- it's not-." He started over. "We could still talk. Just… not in person." Nagisa nodded. He pushed Karma away from himself.

"Okay Karma. I'll keep in touch. Bye." And, before Karma could stop him, he left Karma standing alone in his home. And it felt just as lonely as he did.

…

After Nagisa had left, he had gotten to his house on auto-pilot. He felt empty, numb. It was only when he arrived home that he began to truly feel.

And then he couldn't stop the tears. He sunk to his knees and sobbed shamelessly. He had every right to cry- the man he loved was leaving him.

…

Karma woke up. Today was his flight.

He got dressed. Prepared himself a breakfast. He continued his morning routine. His life felt like short sentences. Uniform, boring.

He got a taxi and rode it to the airport. He kept feeling like he was waiting for something- that that something was missing, but he didn't know what it was.

He walked into the airport with his carry-on luggage. He looked around at other people. He saw a family, probably on vacation. A blonde woman with enormous heels tapped past him, talking on her phone with her bright red lips in what sounded like French. Men, women, children. They passed him while he stood still.

Then he caught sight of a man saying good-bye to a woman. He kissed her, and she wished him farewell. He headed to board his plane.

So, that was what he was waiting for- somebody to come say good-bye.

A couple of minutes later, there was an announcement that his plane was leaving. No one had come. What did he expect?

He boarded his plane. And just like that, he was gone.

He never even got to see the short blue-haired man that had made his way to the airport five minutes too late, shouting out his name. Just too late.

 **End of story.**

 **A/N: Lol, just kidding. That's not the ending. Sorry for the boring and kind of sad chapter. Special thanks to TheRealRedDevil, KarmagisaAllTheWay, and cherryblossom321 for all of your support! I appreciate reviews/favorites/follows (it encourages me to write more and hopefully better). I love you all, my readers! Seriously, though, I've gotten so much love on this. I promise, for my followers, my next chapter will be more interesting than this one.**


	6. Distance

The steady pounding continued. He loved rainstorms, the cacophony of sounds. Rain coming down in sheets, hitting the green leaves, making slapping noises. When they missed the trees, the drops pattered on the ground, making dull, earthy noises.

Karma rolled over in bed. The sounds should be comforting him, but, for some reason, they just disrupted his sleep that night. No, not for _some reason._ He knew exactly why.

Quite a few years ago, right after junior high, Karma had been sleeping to a rainstorm similar to this one. His dreams, which were normally plagued by various concerns of his day life, had formed a whole other scene in his mind.

There was no mistaking his attraction to Shiota Nagisa after that. He had woken up, panting.

In the present, he couldn't fall asleep; much less formulate dreams containing his, admittedly, favorite person in them.

After listening to the drumbeats for a few minutes longer, Karma gave up on sleeping. He sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed he had been resting on. He palmed his forehead and laughed bitterly.

His eyes shifted over to his phone, which was charging on his bedside table. Snatching it, he looked at the time. Just a bit after two o' clock. He sighed. It was almost as if he had developed insomnia after he had moved to the United States five months prior. He wouldn't be surprised if he had.

Unlocking his phone, he opened his messenger app. He looked at his conversation with Nagisa. The last text sent was sent by Karma. He remembered typing it.

 **Hey, I'm at the airport.**

There was no response, in person or by text. Regardless of the easy communication they had access to, neither of them seemed to want to cross that bridge. If they sent that text that said 'hey' or something like that, chances were that they were going to keep talking. And they'd also keep pining. But Karma was still not in Japan, and Nagisa was and it would hurt. There was no denying their feelings.

So they kept it that way: painless (well, kind of) and simple. But even still, Karma's fingers itched to type a message to Nagisa.

…

Roughly 10,100 kilometers away and a bit more than 12 hours ahead, Nagisa had dismissed his class. He wasn't grading any papers today. Instead, he had plans for dinner.

He had been set up on a date. With a man. He had finally acknowledged his class' demands that he was gay.

It was hilarious, actually. They had been so disappointed (and heartbroken) when K- _that man-_ had left. Some of his students even let out a few tears. (A lot of tears, actually. It was kind of a flood). But, even still, they had tried to cure Nagisa's own sadness by scoring him a date.

Him and this man, named Umeji Hosoe, were going to a local restaurant. He didn't want to know where his students had found this man, but they lived close. And, Nagisa had to admit, he was very good-looking.

While he had been pondering his future date, he hadn't noticed that his class hadn't actually left when he had dismissed them.

"Excited?" Asked Mei. Snapping his head in her direction, his face heated up. They sniggered. He stood up, clearing his throat and willing the heat to leave his very red cheeks.

"It's- you- I- whatever." He sighed in exasperation after failing to make an excuse. The cheery atmosphere lasted a few moments longer.

"But you're still in love with him." It was Akihito.

"I've never been in love." Nagisa stated coldly, avoiding the gazes of his class. "You've been dismissed. I suggest you leave." A few seconds of mournful silence, then they filed out of the classroom, leaving their teacher to wallow in his memories.

…

It had been another month, and Karma was pointedly not listening to his mother's ramblings. While his eyes remained on her, his mind wandered elsewhere.

He was imagining Japan. He never thought he'd miss it so much. But, in reality, it was not the country he was missing; it was the people in it. With that thought, a little gateway in his mind opened and images of those people flooded through it. Nagisa, obviously, was first through. But his students all filed in as well, those he had helped and those he had merely spoken to. They were good kids. He missed them.

When it seemed like his mother was done, he raised an eyebrow at her furious, heaving self. She glared, huffed, and stormed away. She had been agitated since he arrived several months ago. She liked to blame it on Karma's father's death, but she had been huffy and puffy long before that day.

The funeral had passed long ago. It had been him, his mother, and a few rich work friends who had flown to the U.S. to attend.

His mother, with his help, had bought a house and was settled in. She hardly needed a job- she had a fair sum of money to support her. The only thing keeping Karma there was her apparent need for him.

If by 'need' she meant someone she could yell at, then she definitely needed him.

Karma, not wanting to piss off his mother again, left the house, which smelled of ladies' perfume and printed paper, and headed off to a quieter area.

After wandering for a bit, he stopped at a park. It was very green (the rains had continued) and neat, like it had been freshly trimmed. He took in the scent of rain and mowed grass and let it distract him from his problems. It was a nice feeling to just stand by himself.

He continued his stroll and found himself the target of attention. From women. Not that he didn't like women (he was _not_ a misogynist by any means) but from the looks they were giving him, he assumed they were interested in him. In a way he could not be interested in them with.

One woman, brunette and a good height, strode up to him and shifted her weight to one foot, so that she had a sort of intimidating stance. Placing one hand on her hip, she gave him a grin.

"Come here often?" It was _very_ obvious that she was flirting. In another life, he would have liked her; she was bold, pretty, and seemed like a leader (at least amongst her friends). But it was this life, not another, and she wasn't his type. Or gender, rather.

"No." By answering with a short response, he closed off the conversation, trying to make it clear that he wasn't interested.

She picked up the hint.

"It was worth a shot, you're cute." She changed her position. "Got a girlfriend, then?" Karma smiled.

"I don't swing that way." Understanding flashed across her face. Her smile matched his.

"Good for you, then. Find yourself a good boyfriend to keep you from encounters like this one." Then she left and began to chat with her friends, most likely explaining what had happened.

Karma's heart panged inside his chest.

Maybe he needed a distraction, but he didn't want one. He would keep waiting for the one person that could really be with him.

…

Umeji Hosoe didn't last long. Nagisa had been on a total of two dates with him before he had gotten bored and had stopped the relationship.

That was four weeks ago.

Honestly, he had stopped keeping track of the days that passed since Karma's departure. The more days he counted, the less hope he had that Karma would come back to him. After all, it was entirely possible that when Karma did come back, he would have moved on. That thought used to cloud Nagisa's mind and strangle his already broken heart, but now it was just a dull ache. A fact.

His class had stopped bothering him about Karma. He suspected it was caused by his cold demeanor towards the subject.

To be honest, class was less fun without Karma popping in randomly to help out. The students sometimes still came to Nagisa for help, but he wasn't as welcoming as he was when Karma was around.

It was a week ago that Nagisa had looked for antidepressants. He had not bought them.

It was five days ago that he had quit looking for another partner.

It was yesterday that he looked at a picture of Karma on his phone. He, for the first time, had not smiled when he had seen it.

On the present day, Nagisa was grading papers. The class was much better than they had been when he'd first met them, but now they were slipping again. He felt guilty- he knew it was his fault. Him being gloomy created an equally gloomy atmosphere, and no one enjoyed that. He knew he had to be a better teacher and not let his emotions overrule his teaching. Koro-sensei was better than that and Nagisa would be too. He just needed to be cheered up.

He plastered on that smile of his and lied through his teeth to his class the next day. He told them that he had found a date that made him just as happy as he had been with Karma. He thanked his old teachers and his experience with his mother for his ability- the class totally believed him. For the next while, things were better.

He was cooking for himself back home. He didn't even bother with a recipe, he just cooked. It didn't matter.

Before he had even finished, however, there was a rap on the door. He contemplated turning off the stove before he left it, deciding that this wouldn't take long.

He braced himself for a salesperson selling something or other, and readied his usual smile, pretending to be polite.

He opened the door.

"Hi, Nagisa." Akabane Karma greeted him.

 **A/N: I am seriously sorry about the LONG space between chapters. Writing has been difficult lately, what with my life and my headaches. I've realized that I keep switching between the order of names (ex: Akabane Karma versus Karma Akabane) so I'm sorry about that. Thank you to everyone who followed/favorited and (hopefully) waited for the next update. You guys are basically my favorite people. I can't promise to update more often, but I will try. I hope you have enjoyed my admittedly bad story so far.**


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